A death sixteen years ago traumatized both Sylvie and her mother Annie. Annie becomes an alcoholic and Sylvie is never the same. Cared for by an aunt, Sylvie is resentful of the lack of caring and indifference on the part of her mother. Persephone was a loved sister and her death especially since the murder was never solved left a huge hole in their existence.
Returning to the dismal family home Sylvie is determined to try to open this cold case, despite one of the original detectives long retired and the suspects being related to the most prominent man in this tiny town with a reputation for being determined to get his own way.
The story unravels fairly slowly, at times a bit too slow. You realize where this is going but that does not detract from the telling of the story. It is the characterization of Annie the mother that gripped me. That a woman could be so blind to anything else than her passionate love for a scoundrel amazed me. Everything else fell by the wayside. That she realized that her idol had feet of clay at the end, was neither here or there. That her surviving daughter could move on showed the character of Sylvie.
Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Touchstone Atria Books.
PS This review done on my iPad so please excuse any shortcomings in typing!
I'm impatient with slow stories these days so this may not be for me. Happy New Year!
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